Thursday, 1 June 2017

Q &A with Eva Leigh - new release & GIVEAWAY!

Tasty Q& A with Eva Leigh

Describe yourself in five words or
less. Feminist
who believes in HEA.

Can you tell us a little about your
book? Alexander
Lewis, the Duke of Greyland, met a beautiful, destitute widow and lost his
heart to her—but she disappeared. Two years later, the duke finds Cassandra
again as she manages a gaming hell. Alex is prepared to offer Cassandra
everything, even his name, until he discovers a gut-wrenching truth. Cassandra
is not a genteel widow. She’s a confidence artist, targeting aristocratic men
with her swindles. Heartbroken and furious, Alex wants nothing to do with her.
Fate steps in when Cassandra’s business partner vanishes with the profits from
the gaming hell, leaving Cassandra at the mercy of dangerous people. In desperation,
Cassandra turns to Alex for help. Delving into London’s underworld, they form
an uneasy partnership as they track down her partner. Yet the passion they’d
shared two years ago is nothing compared to their desire now. Can Alex protect
himself, or will Cassandra once again steal his heart?

How did you come up with the concept
and the characters for the story? As with my Wicked Quills of London series, I enjoy having
characters that aren’t necessarily part of Regency High Society. I’m fascinated
by confidence artists—their methods, their motivations—and thought it would be
exciting to see what would happen when England’s most morally upright duke
falls for a morally ambiguous woman.

What did you enjoy most about writing
this book? Exploring
the other, shadier side of Regency London was a lot of fun. That time period is
so rich with possibility, with so many people of many different walks of life
all living in one place. I also really enjoyed having Alex learn to lighten up
a little and free his wild side. Nothing like a buttoned-up guy who loosens the
reins of his control. (It turns out Alex likes talking dirty!)

What do you like to do when you aren't
writing? Baking
is one of my favorite things to do, because, unlike writing, you finish with a
tangible result. Plus, you make something delicious. I read, of course, and
spend too much time on the internet. When I’m feeling industrious, I crochet
little soft toys called amigurumi and give them to friends.

Tell us all
about your main characters—who are they? What makes them tick? Most
importantly, what one thing would they need to have with them if stranded on a
desert isle? ;)

Alex
has been born and bred to be a duke. Everything he does falls within a strict
code of responsibility and honor. He doesn’t fully understand degrees of
morality. Having a brief, passionate affair with Cassandra two years ago was
entirely out of character. Once she comes back into his life, he’s shocked and
infuriated to learn that he was just another mark. He’s ready to write
Cassandra off as a cold, calculating criminal—despite the fact that he still
desires her. If Alex was stranded on a desert island, he’d need his walking
stick. He doesn’t have an injury that requires it, but a walking stick can be a
useful took for building shelters, using to hunt for food, or making it into a
sundial. He’s a no-nonsense, practical guy!

Cassandra
grew up alone on the rough streets of London. She had to learn how to survive
in a brutal world. With no one to take care of her, she turned to crime as a
way to keep from starving. Her life changed when she met a man who taught her
the art of pretending to be a gentlewoman while swindling members of the
gentry. Instead of sleeping on filthy hay, now she could rest her head on
feather mattresses, and she had as much as she wanted to eat. She always
thought of aristocrats as targets to be swindled, until she met Alex, who treated
her with dignity and kindness. With Alex, she broke her rule of never sleeping
with a mark, and later fled out of self-preservation. Cassandra is street wise,
self-sufficient, and has learned to view everything with suspicion. Only Alex
sneaks past her defenses. If she was stuck on a desert island, she’d be practical
and take a small knife (which could also be used as a lock pick if she found
buried treasure).

Do you have any advice to give to
aspiring writers? Find
a way to sit down in front of your computer and just start writing. Even when
you doubt yourself, you have to keep going. It’s trite, but books really don’t
write themselves. And also, enjoy the process of writing simply to write.
Success isn’t a guarantee so we have to love what we do.

A seductive new
series that sizzles with

the dark secrets
of

London’s
underworld...

FROM DUKE TILL
DAWN

The London Underground
#1

Eva
Leigh

Releasing May 30,
2017

Avon
Books

Eva Leigh
launches a seductive new series that sizzles with the dark secrets of

London’s
underworld...

Years ago, the
Duke of Greyland gave his heart—and a princely sum of money—to a charming, destitute
widow with unparalleled beauty. But after one passionate night, she

slipped
from his bed and vanished without a trace. And just when he’s given up

desperate
to have her… until he discovers everything about his long-lost lover

was
a lie.

In truth, Cassandra
Blake grew up on the streets, picking pockets to survive. Greyland

was
a mark—to be fleeced and forgotten—but her feelings for the duke became all

too
real. Once he learns of her deception, however, the heat in his eyes turns

to
ice. When her business partner absconds with the gaming hell

proceeds—leaving
unsavory investors out for blood—Cassandra must beg the man

she
betrayed for help.

Greyland wants
compensation, too, and he’ll assist her under one condition: she doesn’t

leave
his sight until her debts are paid. But it’s not long before the real

Cassandra—the
smart, streetwise criminal—is stealing his heart all over

again.

Eva
Leigh is the pen name of a
RITA® Award-nominated romance author who writes novels chock-full of smart
women and
sexy men. She enjoys baking, Tweeting about boots, and listening to music from
the '80s. Eva and her husband live in Southern California.